Stranger Things
by lesbeau-madhatter
Summary: Riley Harrow is NOT crazy, despite what all the psychiatrists at the Seattle Asylum say. Just because a girl sees her foster father (may he rot in the ground) get killed by gorgeous, sparkling vampires (or bloodsucking fairies,) doesn't make her crazy. Of course, her new (and awfully pale) doctor might just agree with her. FEMSLASH! On temporary HIATUS due to unfortunate spill.
1. She's Not Crazy, Dammit!

Riley Harrow: She's Not Crazy, Dammit!

"So, Riley-"

"So, Dr. Johnston, how are you feeling today?" Riley interrupted the doctor, mirroring his professional tone and politely curious expression. "You look pale. Did you eat breakfast this morning?"

"I'm absolutely swell, thank you; and, yes I did. Tell me, how do you feel about this transition?"

The van hit a bump, and the seventeen-year-old girl shook her head. "Well, sir, I ain't feeling too good. I think that bacon they served in the caf this morning was a bit undercooked."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What do you think about meeting Dr. Cullen and his family? Are you nervous, excited?" Pen poised over his ever-present clipboard, pale blue eyes watching Riley intently, the old doctor was a perfect professional. Her own dark grey eyes met his as she pondered their differences. Where her head was completely shaved (due to the asylum's hygiene rules,) he had immaculately groomed, pepper-grey hair and a thin mustache. The old man's lab coat was impeccably starched, unspoiled white. He wore it over pressed khakis and a sweater. The teenager had a worn, washed out grey t-shirt, and sweatpants. Visually polar opposites, she thought.

Riley rolled her cramped shoulders and the two oversized security goons on either side of her immediately reached for their tasers. She somehow resisted the urge to roll her eyes. They were hired to protect the doctors from their sometimes violent patients, she understood that. But she'd never had an incident at the asylum; there was no reason to be so jumpy. Also, the whole situation was a horror movie cliché. The insane person riding in the windowless back of the white van, watched by the guards and the doctor. The only difference was that if they did get into an accident where she was the only survivor, she wouldn't go on a killing spree. The girl almost laughed at the thought.

"Has anyone ever told you, you got really pretty eyes?" Riley commented with a cheeky smirk.

"Yes, actually."

"I'm not surprised. The ladies must be all over you," she responded, grin widening suggestively. "Not to mention the men, huh?"

"The success of my romantic escapades has nothing to do with what we're talking about. Answer my question," the psychiatrist retorted coolly. The teenager noticed with satisfaction that his British accent was more prevalent now and smothered a chortle.

Riley looked down at her bound hands and frowned. "I dunno why y'all bother with the cuffs. I could've picked my way out at least six times by now." Both of the guards stiffened and quickly checked that her handcuffs were secure. She laughed. "Oh, chill out. If I was gonna do it, I'da done it by now."

Dr. Johnston was undeterred. "I've no doubt. Kindly desist your little 'let's distract Dr. Johnston until he forgets what he wanted to know' game."

"Ahhh," Riley chuckled. "You know me so well. Guess that comes of five years of picking through my brain, huh?"

"Indeed. Now stop avoiding the subject." The van shook from a dip into a pothole, as if punctuating the doctor's slightly amused and frustrated words.

"You're so dignified. I admire that." Dr. Johnston raised his eyebrows and the girl huffed, a smile playing on the corners of her mouth. "All right, fine," Riley acquiesced with an exaggerated whine. Then, with several deep sighs, she said, "I guess… I feel… a little sad."

He jotted something down and tucked his pen away in his breast pocket. "There."

Riley looked at him with a furrowed brow and a slight scowl. "That's it? That's all you needed?" The doctor looked at her and nodded, ever so smugly, Riley noted. "I cannot believe you get paid for this."

"I'm not going to record your entire mental state. That would be devastating to the rainforests."

"You're so funny," was her sarcastic rejoinder.

"Tell me something. Why must everything be so difficult with you? It took a thirty minute conversation for me to get 'sad,'" Dr. Johnston pointed out.

"I've been in a mental institution for the past five years. I'm bored out of my mind," the teenage girl said with exaggerated slowness. Riley continued in her normal tone, "This is the only entertainment I get."

Dr. Johnston smirked at her. "Good to know I mean so much to you."

"Sorry, but that's all you get until you stop telling me I'm crazy."

"Why would I do that?" he asked mockingly. "It's so much fun. Besides, you insist that sparkling vampires," with an incredulous, arched brow, "killed your foster father. I'm inclined to believe that vampires do not exist, nor do they sparkle," the doctor finished matter-of-factly.

"They were either sparkling vampires or bloodsucking fairies."

"Neither exist."

Riley crossed her arms and scowled, partly at the awkwardness of trying to cross one's arms with handcuffs on. "And you should know, since you were there and saw everything," she snapped.

"It would seem that we've arrived to an impasse," the old psychiatrist mildly remarked.

"Let's just leave it there. We've had this convo for years and it never goes anywhere."

The van slowed to a jerky stop and Dr. Johnston nodded at Riley. "I know. But since we're here, why don't we put that behind us? A fresh start."

"Sounds good," the teenager assented as he opened the doors.

As the doctor stepped outside, he quickly added, "And in the meantime, I'll carry around a clove of garlic and a cross in case I run into any sparkly vampires."

"Don't patronize me, dammit!" Riley bellowed, as the sniggering old man walked out of her line of sight.


	2. She Meets Dr Cullen

She Meets Dr. Cullen

_As the doctor stepped outside, he quickly added, "And in the meantime, I'll carry around a clove of garlic and a cross in case I run into any sparkly vampires."_

"_Don't patronize me, dammit!" Riley bellowed, as the sniggering old man walked out of her line of sight._

"All right, c'mon. We don't got all day," one of the security guards grunted, grabbing her arm and pulling her up. He escorted the girl out of the back of the van, the other guard close behind. In case she tried to make a break for it, Riley assumed, hiding a grin. It was kind of flattering.

The mansion they'd arrived at was huge. Its dark grey roof rose over the treetops and its white walls seemed to glow under the blankets of rain-heavy clouds. The floor-to-ceiling windows were tinted so that Riley couldn't see into the big house.

Dr. Johnston was shaking hands with a man on the large, covered porch. The stranger was a young, ridiculously handsome blonde, his short hair neatly combed and golden eyes twinkling in the midst of laugh lines. The guard yanked Riley's arm, and she realized she'd been staring. He pulled the slight girl across the tidily manicured lawn and up the porch stairs.

"Riley!" The doctor said cheerfully, a glint in his blue eyes. The teenage girl glowered at him, not forgetting his condescending attitude about what she saw. The oblivious man continued, gesturing towards the should-be model, "This is Carlisle Cullen, your new doctor."

"Please, call me Carlisle," the pale man interjected, holding out his hand. Riley took it, then flinched at the chilly temperature. His skin was cold, then understanding dawned on her. Her eyes widened slightly, then the teenager took her hand away and composed herself. It made perfect sense; the strange eye-color (even if it was gold instead of red,) the extreme beauty, the pale, almost white skin. Riley was walking into a house of vampires. Or bloodsucking fairies. Same difference.

She realized Dr. Johnston was looking at her expectantly and said, "Nice to meet you, Carlisle."

The vampire smiled warmly, no doubt understanding her distraction. "Likewise. I hope to take you off of the experimental medicine they've had you on, if that's all right with you."

Why? So she'd taste better? The teenager thought grimly. But she liked the idea of not having to take the pills anymore. "Sounds good. The meds give me a headache. Not fun," Riley responded, a bit warily.

Dr. Johnston beamed. "Dr. Cullen is an expert in psychobiology, and has experience in strange cases like yours."

"You mean all the people around me thinking I had a schizophrenic hallucination or a mental breakdown when I have none of the symptoms of either and am, in fact, as sane as the rest of you?" Riley answered snidely, crossing her arms around the metal handcuffs. He closed his eyes and shook his head down at the girl.

"Um, can we remove those? Restraints are unnecessary," Carlisle requested in a mild tone.

"_Thank_ you," Riley huffed, holding out her wrists to the closer guard who grimaced. He fished his keys out of his pockets, selected one, and unlocked the cuffs. "Finally." Maybe Carlisle wasn't so bad, she thought. For a bloodthirsty fairy.

"I leave her in your capable hands," Dr. Johnston said, then added with a smirk, "I wish you the best of luck."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Riley asked, insulted.

The old doctor laughed. "I'll be back next month to check on your progress. Goodbye, Riley." He started walking away, the security guards following.

"Hey, hey, no! You don't get to walk away without answering my question!" Riley yelled. Dr. Johnston turned and waved cheerily at her, before getting in the van with the guards. She cursed as it drove away. "Dammit! Stupid-ass, smug little bast-" Carlisle cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow at the teenager. "Oh, um…" What did one say to an overly polite vampire? "Sorry?"

"It's quite all right. Would you like to come in?" Carlisle asked, with a gentle smile.

Riley was taken aback. "Uh…" She swallowed nervously.

"We won't bite," Carlisle joked, and the girl laughed then clapped a hand over her mouth. "It's all right. We only hunt animals. Not humans. That's why we have gold eyes."

"Not quite reassured by that. No offense."

"None taken. We could stay out here if it makes you feel better," the vampire suggested, motioning towards the wicker chairs off to the side. "If you want any snacks, my wife has been cooking all day. She's quite excited at the prospect of being able to use the kitchen daily." He chuckled.

Riley furrowed her brow as she sat down. "Um, your wife?"

"Would you like to meet Esme? We don't want to overwhelm you," the vampire explained.

"Um, sure," Riley acquiesced, hating that she sounded so fearful. It wasn't like it was the first time the girl had ever come across vampires. She should be more confident, dammit!

A motherly brunette came out of the house slowly, as if any sudden move would give Riley a heart attack. She smiled, deep dimples appearing in her cheeks. The woman was a little shorter than Carlisle and very curvy. Her wavy hair fell to her shoulders, framing a heart-shaped face. "Hello. I'm Esme."

"Um, hi." Riley smiled, in spite of herself. The vampire was sweet and maternal; it was impossible to not like her.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Esme asked kindly.

The teenager nodded and Carlisle sat in a chair across from her; probably trying not to make her feel threatened. "So, why exactly would you take in a human who knows what you are?"

"That's a reasonable question, and one I fully expected you to ask," Carlisle responded. "My family and I decided after a rather lengthy debate that it was in all of our best interests, including yours, that we make you part of our coven as a human. We're basically unofficially adopting you."

The girl blinked slowly, looking at the vamp doctor incredulously. "What?"


	3. She Gets Adopted By Vampires

**A/N: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good… and that I won't abandon this fanfic.  
**

_**Trigger Warning: child abuse and mention of rape of a minor**_**. Nothing graphic and it's pretty slight (b/c I can't tolerate writing something like that) but I'm putting this anyway.**

She Gets Adopted By Vampires

"_We're basically unofficially adopting you."_

"_The girl blinked slowly, looking at the vamp doctor incredulously. "What?"_

He chuckled at Riley's expression. "We have plenty of room, obviously," he gestured at the mansion, "and you know about vampires. From what I've read in your files-"

"Oh, no, not the files," the teenager groaned. "They're full of shit."

"Language," Carlisle admonished mildly, making her roll her eyes. He shook his head with a small smile and continued. "You'd be surprised at what's actually in there."

"No offense," she said with a wave of her hand, "but I highly doubt that." Esme came out with a silver tray full of grilled cheese sandwiches and placed it on a wicker table next to Riley's chair. She grinned at the vampire and took one, biting into it. "Wow, this is really good. Thanks."

"It's not a problem, dear. There's more where that came from," Esme said with a gentle smile. A loud crash made Riley jump and Esme closed her eyes tiredly. "There goes the T.V. Enjoy the sandwiches."

Was she seriously expecting her to eat all those sandwiches? That was a really big tray and, she was pretty sure it was solid silver. Riley whistled. "I'm going to be real spoiled by y'all, aren't I?" She started munching on the sandwich with a grin.

"By Esme, at any rate," he chuckled. "She loves being a mother. But, even without that, I know you'll be a great addition to our family."

"Again, no offense, but why would you want me in the first place? You said you read my files, so…"

"Well, think about it this way. I read what was in there while the family was deciding whether we should take you in. Would we adopt the kind of person that you think you're portrayed as in your files?" He raised his brow at her expectantly, waiting for her answer.

"Stranger things have happened; after all, a group of bloodthirsty fairies are adopting a human who knows what you are," Riley pointed out. Carlisle remained silent, eyebrow slightly raised. "Oh, come on. I may not have read them, but I've heard people talking. About how I'm a 'hopeless sociopath' and that 'I'd kill again if I had the chance.'"

Carlisle sighed. "Tell me what happened. Without your 'distract the doctor from the subject' bullshit."

The teenager gaped at him, in the midst of eating the last bit of the sandwich. "Did you just cuss?" she mumbled through her food.

"Eat it before you answer, please."

"Sorry," she said, before swallowing. "Er, sorry. You took me by surprise. What kind of vampire cusses?"

He grinned at her. "You should hear Emmett sometimes. Now," he gestured with his hand for her to continue.

"All right, all right. So I was twelve. My foster father was mad because I broke a bowl, so he took me out to the backyard like he always did. He used to say he didn't want me to get blood everywhere." Riley gritted her teeth. "So he took me out back, and started caning me. But, um, he didn't stop. I remember the cane broke in two on my head but he kept hitting me with it."

Carlisle leaned forward and put his hand on top of hers. "It's all right. You don't have to continue if you don't want to."

The seventeen-year-old shook her head. "I'm okay, I've told this story for five years. I guess that the blood was what attracted them. There were two. A man and a woman. With red eyes. They, uh, stepped into the sun and started glittering. For a second I thought I died 'cause they were… wow, beautiful, just amazing." She laughed dryly. "The woman had really curly brown hair, went down to her middle back, and she was short, especially compared to the guy. He was like two feet taller than her and he had light brown, wavy hair. Anyway, she asked my foster father what he was doing with me. He said he was teaching me a lesson." Riley scoffed. "Fucking dumbass bastard."

Carlisle smirked ever-so-slightly. "You're so eloquent."

The teenager grinned. "Thanks. Anyway, the guy vamp growled and said, uh, 'you're a coward, beating a child like that. What do you think, Charlotte? Should we take care of him?' And the girl vampire, she ran over and ended up right beside my foster father. It was a blur. I barely had time to blink before she was there. Like 'The Flash' or something." She shook her head. "Do all of you run that fast?"

"On average yes. It depends on the individual vampire, just like with humans," the doctor responded.

Riley nodded thoughtfully, grabbing another sandwich from the tray and biting into it. "Okay, so Charlotte asked him if he did anything else to me, and he was pretty scared. He told her about how he, um, raped me a couple of times when they first adopted me, and she looked really pissed. She snarled, and it was… like one of those cheetahs on Animal Planet. He actually peed his pants. And the other vampire came and sat down next to me and introduced himself. Like it was the most normal thing in the world."

"What was this vampire's name?" Carlisle leaned forward, brow furrowed with curiosity.

"Peter. He was nice. And he sounded kind of Southern." Riley chuckled.

"I believe Jasper knows that couple."

"Of course he does," the seventeen-year-old acknowledged with a blasé expression. "Anyway, Peter was trying to distract me from Charlotte killing my foster father, but I saw her biting down on his neck. And he screamed a lot, which is hard to ignore, so, futile effort there. They were about to disguise the cause of death, when my foster mother came out and they had to leave. So there I am, in the backyard with my foster father's body, and it looks like I slit his throat." Riley huffed.

"I'm sorry. I know that had to have been a terrible experience," Carlisle said sympathetically.

"It was. But most of my time with Mr. and Mrs. Evil-Ass Bastard was pretty bad. At least the asylum was decent. Except for the meds and the 24/7 boredom and the nasty food and the _white_." She sat back in her chair, incensed, and took another bite of her food.

"The white?"

"Everything was white. I am _so_ tired of that color. It can barely be called a color!" Riley shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Well, good news. The room you'll be staying in is varying shades of green and gold," Carlisle said with a grin.

"Really?" The teenager asked, delighted. The doctor nodded and she dropped the sandwich to hug him. "So about that adoption thing, I'm all for that. But, uh, if I get turned into a vampire before I'm twenty, I'm going to be mad. I don't want to be a teenager for all eternity." She stood and gave a mock shudder.

"God forbid," Carlisle muttered.


End file.
